New Worlds, New Dangers: Sora Goes to Alagaesia
by Charmanth
Summary: Sora goes to Alagaesia, on a mission to connect new worlds. He, Riku, and Kairi end up getting caught up in a war between good versus evil that has the entire world in an uproar. Will Sora be able to save the day?
1. The Heartless Invade

_Sora, Riku, and Kairi, it is time to go to new worlds. Get ready, for this may be our biggest adventure yet. Donald and Goofy are on their way to pick you guys up. I won't be accompanying you yet, for I have some business to attend to._

"It's signed King Mickey. So, our work's not done," Sora said.

"Apparently not," Riku replied. "Figures. Our work may never be done. There are many worlds out there, after all."

"Wonder when Donald and Goofy will get here?" Kairi asked.

"Who knows? Travel doesn't happen instantaneously, though they may be here any day now. It must have taken the bottle a while to get here," Riku said.

"Wonder what new worlds we'll see?" Sora said, as energetic as ever.

A couple of days later, Donald and Goofy came in the gummi ship. They found Sora, Riku and Kairi all waiting at the beach on their island.

"You're here!" Sora yelled as he went to greet his friends.

"So, did the King tell you more about what was up than what his note said?" Riku asked.

"Um, not really. Just that we need to make contact with new worlds. Worlds that might have been around far longer than even Castle Disney, but just haven't been connected yet." Goofy said.

"Well, we can do that, can't we?" Sora said.

"Of course!" Donald said. "The King also said that the Heartless may be a problem in the new worlds too. And Nobodies, as well."

"We can take care of those," Sora said.

"After beating Xemnas, I should hope we could," Riku said.

And so, the five set off on their new adventure. They boarded the gummi ship, which had been expanded to accommodate five, and took off. The first world they came to was preparing for all out war, and they would have gone on except that they noticed that there were Heartless vessels circling the world. So they landed.

Eragon and his small band walked in the night, heading towards Dras-Leona and Helgrind. He stretched his mind to its furthest reach, but did not find anything that was unusual. Certainly not the Lethrblaka or the Ra'zac.

Then, strange creatures brushed against his consciousness. He recoiled as soon as he found their intent. And that was to take hearts.

The creatures attacked swiftly, and before Eragon could warn his band, they were under attack. From the shadows on the ground rose many of the creatures. Many more appeared all around them. Eragon drew his sword, a plain weapon, and struck at one. It did no good.

For some odd reason, only half of the weapons that were used against the creatures did any good. Roran's hammer smashed into a creature, and it disappeared. Eragon then decided that maybe magic would fare better. Uttering a quick spell, a fireball burst forth from his palm and quickly dispatched three of the creatures.

Saphira incinerated many with her fiery breath, but more kept coming. Some were even stronger, and of different shape, than the first ones.

Sora saw the battle before anyone else did. If he stood and counted, he might have counted close to a hundred. All were swarming around the small group of men and a dragon.

"They need our help! C'mon!" Sora yelled as he ran ahead, Keyblade in hand.

"That's quite a few Heartless. He's gonna need our help," Riku said, chasing after him, his own Keyblade in hand.

"Let's go! More Heartless just keep appearing!" Donald yelled and the rest followed. As soon as he got in range, he cast Thunder spells on the Heartless.

Sora quickly dispatched five Heartless, using the momentum of his Keyblade to perform combos. Riku did the same. More Heartless replaced them.

"They just keep coming!" Sora yelled.

"You're not gonna give up, are you?" Riku asked.

"No way!" Sora replied.

Sora noticed the flying Heartless attacking the dragon. He jumped high into the air, and attacked the attacking Heartless. The dragon took off into the air as soon as possible.

Donald was using magic to kill the Heartless, and Goofy was throwing his shield. Kairi attacked the smaller Shadows. Even with the help of the small group of men, it took a while to dispatch all of the Heartless.

Everyone was worn, but there were no severe injuries. The dragon landed, and eyed Sora and friends with an icy stare.

"Saphira wants to know whom she is thanking," one man, who had slightly angled features and pointed ears, said.

"I'm Sora, this is Donald, Goofy, Riku and Kairi," Sora said.

"I'm Eragon, and Saphira here is my dragon. What were those things that attacked us?" the man, Eragon, asked.

"Those were the Heartless," Donald said.

"They're almost everywhere we go," Goofy added.

"So your world isn't the only one with that problem," Sora said.

"It's a new one for sure. We were on our way to take care of four of the many problems in Alagaesia. The biggest one is one we can't tackle until I become stronger. Wait, did you just say our world? You're not from here?" Eragon asked.

"No, we're not," Sora said.

"There are tons of other worlds out there," Goofy said.

"Yeah. We're visiting worlds we've never been to, to open up routes between them," Donald said.

"We've already hit all the worlds we've visited before," Sora said.

"Some wouldn't believe you. I do, though. We are on our way to eradicate this world of four foul creatures. Two Lethrblaka and two Ra'zac," Eragon said. "The Ra'zac are designed to hunt humans, and the Lethrblaka will eat anything. While the Ra'zac are cunning, they do not posses the intelligence their parents have."

"Lethrblaka are huge and winged, resembling starved dogs, have long necks and long spear-like beaks," another man, who very vaguely similar to Eragon. The resemblance would have been more noticeable if Eragon didn't have angled features or pointed ears.

"This is Roran, my cousin by birth, Brother by right," Eragon said. "We better get going. Our foe can see better than any human at night."

"We'll come along. What would you do if more Heartless came? You're not used to fighting them," Sora said.

"Hmm. I have a question. My sword didn't work against the Heartless, but Roran's hammer did. Why is that?" Eragon asked.

"I'm not sure. Not all weapons work against the Heartless," Sora said.

"Your strange weapons work fine on the things," Eragon said.

"The Keyblade… well, one function is to destroy Heartless," Sora said.

"There are different Keyblades. I carry one myself, and Kairi, when she does fight, also has one," Riku said.

"Oh, and King Mickey has one too," Donald said.

"Who's King Mickey?" Eragon said.

"The one who sent us on this quest. He wants the worlds open and free to trade," Goofy said.

"You haven't seen someone yea high with large rounded ears wearing red and black, have you?" Sora asked.

"Apparently, he went off again," Donald said.

"No, I haven't met anyone of that description," Eragon said.

"Well, it was worth a try. Maybe he'll show up later. Eragon, what's the 'biggest problem' that this world has?" Sora asked.

"King Galbatorix. King of the Empire," Eragon said.


	2. Leather Flappers

"You know, we really can't go around dethroning kings. We only did it in the Pridelands to help Simba," Donald said when the group of friends were conferencing.

"Wonder what kinda King Galbatorix is?" Sora said.

"I don't know. But apparently, Eragon has a beef with him," Riku said. "We'd better watch our backs here. Creatures 'designed to hunt humans'?"

"Well, I say we go along with them for now. We may learn something," Sora said.

A high-pitched, piercing screech filled the air. Everyone clapped their hands over their ears. Fear invaded their hearts, especially four of those in Eragon's group who never faced the Lethrblaka before. Eragon vaulted to Saphira's back.

The two Lethrblaka came into view as Saphira rose into the air. The monsters veered away from each other, so that they would be on opposite sides of Saphira. Saphira rose rapidly, but the Lethrblaka sandwiched her between them.

"THUNDER!!!" Donald yelled, casting his thunder spell.

"THUNDER!!!" Sora cast his own thunder spell as well.

Both spells hit their target. The Lethrblaka veered away, and Saphira turned towards one. She spat fire at it, but missed.

The men below had knocked their bows and were aiming at the other, which was coming up behind the blue dragon. As one, they let their arrows fly, and though some had hit their mark, not a single shot was fatal. The Lethrblaka screamed in rage and pain.

"They'll need to pull the fight down here so the rest of us can be useful," Riku said.

Sora cast thunder on the Lethrblaka behind Eragon. Donald did the same. It screeched again.

Meanwhile, Saphira was blasting fire at the one in front of her. Eragon then used his magic to throw fireballs at the Ra'zac riding the Lethrblaka. Then, Saphira executed a backwards loop, and ended up behind the one that was behind her. Her fiery breath hit home. The Lethrblaka screeched in pain.

Another volley of arrows, and one of the beasts fell, screeching. Sora and Riku quickly finished it off using their Keyblades. Donald continued his magical assaults on the other, even as it fled out of range.

Saphira landed, and Eragon quickly dismounted. He then sat down hard on the ground. He had used quite a bit of energy in the fireballs.

"How do you do that? Call in lightning like that, without getting tired, I mean. I'm drained from my own magical attacks," Eragon said.

"Our magics must be different. Our magic uses only a little energy, and that energy is usually set aside just for magic. Not many have the capability to use magic," Donald said.

"Only a few on our world can use magic, too. Hey, thanks for your help back there. We got two of the four foul creatures. It may be tough to get rid of the ones that just fled. I must return to Surda, and report to Nasuada. Then, I'll return to my training with the elves," Eragon said.

"Hmm. Who's Nasuada?" Sora asked.

"She's leader of the Varden, a rebel group, and my liege lord. Not many human women can hold a position like that," Eragon said.

"Well come with you. We were sent to explore new worlds, and that's what we're gonna do," Sora said. "Besides, the Heartless could attack again."

"Or Nobodies. There are still Nobodies around, too," Goofy said.

"Oh, right. Wonder what they could be planning, now? With Xemnas gone, they have no clear leader…" Sora trailed off.

"I'm sure another Nobody will take his place," Donald said.

"Nobodies?" Eragon asked.

"When a strong heart becomes a Heartless, the body and soul become a Nobody. Nobodies act like they have hearts, but they have none," Sora explained.

"Xemnas was the Nobodies' leader. Nobodies, unlike Heartless, can think and plan. The Heartless just act on instinct," Riku said.

"There aren't as many Nobodies as there are Heartless, so we may not even come across them," Donald said.

"So, just to make sure, we'll go with you for a while," Sora said.

"Thanks, I'm sure," Eragon said. "Well, you did help out with the Lethrblaka, as well as the Heartless earlier."

"No prob. It's what we do," Sora said.

So, Eragon's group turned for Surda, to the south, and Sora's group joined them. They traveled the wilds, Saphira more often than not high in the sky and out of view. Eragon rode her as often as he rode his horse, Snowfire.

When they had stopped to rest, and to get some sleep, Eragon began to spar with someone in his group. Sora watched, entranced at Eragon's inhuman speed and agility. The duel ended, Eragon the victor.

"You're a good swordsman, Eragon," Sora said when Eragon had gotten a drink of water.

"I learned from a good teacher. I also trained with even better swordsmen. The elves are far superior to humans in sword and magic skills. Actually, they are far superior to humans in most respects," Eragon said. "I trained with them. As a Rider, I need to be in the best shape possible."

"Elves?" Sora asked. The only elves he knew were Santa's little helpers.

"Never heard of elves? Aren't there elves on other worlds?" Eragon asked, mistaking the question.

"Yeah, Santa's little helpers--" Sora began.

"Who's Santa?" Eragon asked.

"You don't know who Santa is?" Sora asked, incredulous. Who doesn't know who Santa is?

"I still don't believe in Santa Clause," Riku said. "Sora claims that he met him, and even helped him out."

"Santa is the one who comes on Christmas Eve to deliver presents to all the good boys and girls," Goofy said.

"Christmas?" Eragon asked.

"Christmas is a holiday that tons of worlds celebrate. It's a day for sharing…" Sora couldn't quite explain it.

"Well, anyways, the elves are the Fair Folk. They live long lives, are superior to humans in almost anything they do, and will probably be the most beautiful people you ever meet. Because of my bond with Saphira, I somewhat resemble an elf. Elves have pointed ears, and angled features," Eragon explained.

"Oh," Sora said. "Totally different from the elves Donald, Goofy and I met in Christmas town."

Riku snorted.

"Well, it's true. We'll have to take you, sometime, Riku," Sora said.

"Right. That'll be never," Riku said.

"Oh, come on you two, stop that. Now's not the time to take up this debate," Kairi said.

"We'll take Riku to Christmas town after we're finished here," Donald said.

"And if you still don't believe, it's your loss," Sora said, smiling and crossing his arms.

"Uh-huh," Riku replied, rolling his eyes.

"Well, I'M going to BED. Goodnight, everyone!" Kairi said.

Sora yawned. "I guess we all better be going to sleep," he said.

"I'll take first watch," Eragon said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I'll take it with you, Brother," Roran said.

"First watch?" Donald asked.

"Well, we do have to watch for wild animals and we ARE on Galbatorix's land. We have to keep watch so we can be forewarned of any danger that approaches," Eragon said.

"In that case, I'd better take first watch too. The Heartless may come, and they can appear pretty quickly. You may not have enough time to warn everyone," Riku said. "That way, you have one more able body to fend off attack while the alarm is being called."

The night passed with no incident.


	3. To Surda

The combined group ran into the Heartless three more times on their way to Surda's capitol, Aberon. Though most of the Heartless were weak, the sheer numbers almost overwhelmed them. Only the fact that they would not give up kept them sound.

Eragon surprised Sora one night by asking him to spar with him. Sora, never one to decline a challenge, accepted.

"I'll guard our blades, and be careful. We really don't want any broken bones. But don't pull back any attacks, either. Understand?" Eragon asked.

"I think so. You want me to fight to the best of my ability, but to make sure that the blows won't break any bones, right?" Sora replied.

"Right," Eragon said. "I can use magic to heal, but would rather not waste the energy."

"Got it," Sora said.

Sora took his stance, and so did Eragon. Eragon was perfectly at ease with a sword in his hand. And then, Eragon attacked, a quick blow that Sora blocked, only just. And so the test began.

"No magic, this is a test of physical strength and sword skills alone." Eragon said as he attacked again.

Sora saved his breath. After about an hour of hot, grueling testing, Sora lost the spar.

"Not bad," Eragon said. "But I'm afraid that if you wanted to give me more bruises, you'd have to be quicker."

"Just watching you was one thing, but actually fighting against you…" Sora shook his head.

"Well, I do have some advantage over everyone here, except Saphira. And I didn't pull anything back when I tested you," Eragon said. "I've become very strong since the day Saphira hatched for me. I think you did well. Not many can endure more than fifteen minutes of the skill I've acquired."

"I fight better with my friends backing me up," Sora said. "I just hope I don't get into a fight with someone stronger than you without my friends."

"Well, I hope you don't either. I like you, though I can't figure out why," Eragon said.

"I'm just a likeable person, that's all," Sora said.

"Your strong, and not just physically," Eragon said.

"Well, we did defeat the leader of the Nobodies. Haven't seen one since Riku and I defeated Xemnas," Sora said, frowning a little.

"There've always been more Heartless than Nobodies, though. Hopefully, no Nobodies will come here," Goofy said.

"Right. Say, Eragon, if you defeat Galbatorix, what will you do then?" Sora asked.

"I haven't thought about it. I know that Saphira and I need to help rebuild the dragon race. But in order to do that, we need to either rescue the last dragon egg from Galbatorix, which would be a suicide mission, or defeat Galbatorix and find the egg's Rider. Both of which right now are out of the question." Eragon said.

"Oh," Sora said. "So Galbatorix has the last egg? Bummer. And the egg is essential to the dragons' survival?"

"Saphira is the last female. It is Galbatorix's fault that the dragons are almost extinct. If we have the egg, and it hatches, and we train the new Rider, there may be a chance for us to win. Galbatorix has one Rider under his wing, and we need another Rider to even the odds," Eragon said.

"Oh," Sora said. "Do many people live in Alagaesia?"

"I'm not sure exactly how many live in Alagaesia, but there are four main races that live here. Humans, elves, dwarves and dragons. At one time in history, they all lived peacefully together. But, about a century ago, Galbatorix began to destroy his own order. He along with thirteen others, the Forsworn, destroyed the Riders. It's a long story, the full story. Galbatorix is also a Rider, but his bond with his current dragon is an abomination. The dragon did not hatch for him; he stole it, and used black magic to bind it to him. Now, war is at hand, though there has only been one official battle," Eragon explained. "If you can't help us out, then I suggest you leave, because this war is only going to get worse before it gets better."

Later that night, Sora and his friends were talking about their options and what they should do.

"I want to help them, guys. They need our help," Sora said.

"We don't even know if we're talking to the good guys!!! For all we know, Eragon could have twisted the story. I say we leave," Donald said, as suspicious as ever.

"Gwarsh, I don't know, Donald. Eragon seems like a nice fellow. Anyway, why would he say tell us to leave, if we can't help? That just doesn't seem right for someone evil to care about the well being of others," Goofy said.

"I don't know. What we should do I mean. I don't know them, and I do value my life. But there are Heartless here, so we should help in that respect, at least," Riku said.

"I'm staying with Sora and Riku, and don't you guys dare say I should do otherwise. I traveled the Dark Realm just to find Sora, you know," Kairi said.

"We remember," Riku said.

"So, we stay. Kairi, I would much rather you stay on the Gummie ship, but if you really don't want to…" Sora said.

"I don't!" Kairi said.

"We should try to get some sleep. It would be rude to slow them down further," Sora said.

"Hmm. They could go faster on horseback, couldn't they?" Riku said. "They slowed down for us."

"My guess is that this world has many dangers besides the Heartless," Donald said.

"Including Galbatorix," Goofy said.

"They're protecting us?" Kairi asked.

"It would appear so. But we did come across more Heartless…" Sora said.

"We should just get some sleep," Riku said.

The next day they crossed the border into Surda. Heartless knew no boundaries, and they had come across small villages almost overrun by the Heartless.

"Just more evidence that they need our help," Sora said to Donald once as they were fighting Heartless.

Once they reached Surda's capitol, Eragon insisted that Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald and Goofy come with him. The friends followed, and at the steps of the castle, a dark skinned woman smiled as Eragon bowed to her.

"Lady Nasuada, we have visitors from other worlds. I have much to tell, and they helped with our errand, though we failed to rescue Katrina and two of our foes fled," Eragon said, all formality at the moment.

"Other worlds? Yes, you do have much to tell, Eragon, though I do not think you should do all the telling. And your names?" Nasuada addressed Sora and his friends.

"I'm Sora, and these are Riku, Kairi, Donald and Goofy," Sora said.

"So your Nasuada?" Riku asked.

"Riku, show some respect for once!" Sora whispered urgently. "Don't be so rude!"

"Yes. I'm leader of the Varden. Come, Eragon, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald and Goofy. We must talk, and I think King Orrin should know what's going on, too," Nasuada said.


	4. The Story

Sora began the story with how the Destiny Islands had been engulfed in Darkness, and how he became the Keyblade master. Then, Donald and Goofy told of how they met Sora, and the three told of their adventures trying to find King Mickey, as well as Sora's friends Riku and Kairi. Riku and Kairi filled in here and there, to give the story more depth.

Nasuada and Orrin remained silent during the first part of the narration. King Orrin, as a scientist, was fascinated with fantastic adventure. There were so many things he wanted to know.

"Let us tell what happened after we had fallen asleep," Donald said after the tenth question from King Orrin.

And so, the three told of their adventures, and Riku told his side and Kairi told her side. Many of King Orrin's questions were answered, but he still had more. One, of course, was how they could use the Heartless to their advantage.

"NO! Once you start dabbling in Darkness, it would be hard to stop. We have a hard enough time WITHOUT someone controlling the Heartless," Riku said.

"The Heartless must be stopped, as well as any Nobodies that are still around. That's why we came here in the first place. We noticed the Heartless," Sora said.

"I'm afraid that Galbatorix might try using the Heartless," Eragon said. "After all, he had a Shade, the Ra'zac, the Lethrblaka, and under the Shade, the Urgals under his wing."

"The Darkness, in the end, ends up controlling the ones who controls it. Maleficent became a pawn in that fashion," Riku said.

"But she came back, even though we defeated her," Sora said.

"That's a mystery for another time," Riku replied.

"Well, can we use the Heartless' appearance to our advantage? Not use them, but some how, you know, take advantage of it?" King Orrin asked.

"Not really. The Heartless might be distraction enough for us to do some serious damage, but even then the Heartless may come after us," Sora said.

"We also have to prevent Galbatorix from becoming a Heartless," Riku said.

"You think that he might also become a Nobody, if he becomes a Heartless?" Eragon asked.

"Yes, we do. We are _afraid_ of that," Riku said.

"One Organization XIII was enough. We don't need another similar one," Sora said.

"Orrin, promise us something, will you? That you won't let the scientist in you get the better of your best judgment when it comes to facing these Heartless?" Nasuada asked, knowing that Orrin would want to run his own experiments.

"How… oh, very well. I promise. Such experiments ruined that other world, what was it, Radiant Garden, right? I don't want to be responsible for the ruin of my own world," Orrin responded, startled. He HAD been thinking about it.

"So, what do we do now?" Kairi asked.

"We rest, and plan. There are still battles to fight, and I still have training to do. Though my training may have to wait until the war is over," Eragon said.

"So, basically, we are in no better position, and neither is Galbatorix. Unless he enslaves the Heartless. Then he has a large advantage over us, right?" King Orrin asked.

"That's right," Riku and Sora said.

"Can it get any worse?" Nasuada asked.

"It can always get worse," Riku said.

"But then, it can always get better," Sora replied, ever the optimist.

"We'll need the battle to take place soon, before anything more happens," Kairi said.

"That's right. We don't want Galbatorix to get a chance to control the Heartless, and we don't want him to become one," Riku said.

"Saphira says that the time for talk is over, and it's time for sleep," Eragon said suddenly.

"We didn't exactly have a smooth journey, did we?" Sora said, more of a statement than a question.

So, King Orrin ordered a few servants to show Sora and his friends to their hastily prepared rooms.

The next morning, Sora and friends were escorted back to the council room. Inside were all of the generals of both the Varden's and Surda's armies. It seemed that a tactical meeting was in place.

"Here are the Keyblade bearers and their friends," King Orrin said as soon as they entered the door.

"Is there anything we can help with?" Sora said, mindful that King Orrin was a king, and therefore commanded respect.

"Is there a best way to destroy Heartless?" One general asked.

"Unfortunately, each type is different. A slightly different strategy is need for the most common types, while the big ones need different strategies altogether. Some Heartless react more to magic than physical blows. Our kind of magic, that is. I'm not completely sure if the magic of this world would be as effective," Sora said.

"I used magic on the Heartless the times we fought them on the way here, so I think our kind of magic works, too," Eragon said.

The generals asked pointed questions about the Heartless, how to defeat them, and what to do if someone becomes a Heartless.

"I'm the only one to change back after becoming a Heartless. So, it is possible, but not probable for someone to change back. Just fight on," Sora said in response to the last question.

"And that was because his heart was so strong, he couldn't forget his friends. Heartless act on instinct, rather than thought. Well, most of them anyway," Riku said.

"How do we keep from becoming Heartless ourselves?" one general asked.

"Simple. Don't give in to the Darkness," Riku said.

"Only, it's a lot harder to do than to say," Sora said.

"We needed to know, just in case Galbatorix finds new allies in these Heartless," the first general said.

All of a sudden, the door to the council room opened, and in walked King Mickey. Donald and Goofy both yelled, "Your Majesty!" while Sora, Riku and Kairi yelled, "King Mickey!"

"You're here!" all five said.

"Yup. But I don't come with good news. I've been looking for potential threat in our Universe. I recognized a threat in Galbatorix, and so I got as close as I dared to him to keep watch. I learned much about this world, in its current state. Galbatorix doesn't like anyone talking about the past. Anyway, he now has an army of Heartless. Not all the Heartless on this world serve him, but enough do. He's massing them together, and he's gonna attack Surda head on!" King Mickey said.

"What?!" everyone in the room yelled, shock and outrage showing on most faces.

"You mean, we have to fight Heartless as well as his army?" Eragon asked.

"Unfortunately, I think so," Mickey replied.

"Out of curiosity, how'd you get in?" King Orrin asked.

"Told the guards the truth. _And_ I showed them my Keyblade," was Mickey's reply.

"Please tell us you also have some good news?" Sora asked.

"Well, actually, I did manage to get close enough to take something that should tip the odds back into your favor," Mickey said, taking out a green stone. It was ovoid, and big enough for him to have to hold it in two hands. It looked polished smooth.

"The last dragon egg!" Eragon exclaimed.

"It took quite a bit of doing, but I did it. Unfortunately, some were hurt in the process," Mickey said.

"Well, more would be hurt, and for an indefinite amount of time, if Galbatorix continues his reign," Eragon said.

"If the Heartless turn on him, and he becomes a Heartless, he may also become a Nobody. He might start another Organization," Sora said, thinking aloud.

"He did form the Forsworn," Eragon said.

"Your Majesty, we have to help. At least with the Heartless," Donald said.

"I was thinking the same thing, Donald. No need to try to convince me," Mickey said with a wry smile.

"So, let's get down to tactics," King Orrin said.


	5. Tactics and the Hatching

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, and Kairi were thoroughly bored. The meeting lasted for hours. And every single little detail was gone over. They knew that it was important, but Sora was almost sixteen. Riku was sixteen going on seventeen, and Kairi was about the same age as Sora. On their world, children don't hit adulthood as soon as puberty, like apparently here. Sora guessed that Eragon wasn't much older than himself, though he did look, and act older. Donald and Goofy were adults, but they were still kids at heart. As a result, they were bored. The only one to show it was Riku. The others were very respectful.

King Mickey, however, was very much an active participant in the debates about battle strategy. He gave figures and facts that he had gathered during his stay in the Empire. Mickey also gave hints as to the nature of Galbatorix's Heartless warriors. From his descriptions, the lesser ones were pieces of cakes, but there were three or four big ones to watch out for. Maybe more.

"Doubtless Galbatorix's magicians will be putting their spells on the Heartless, to protect them from magic," Trianna said. She was a leader in Du Vrangr Gata.

"Any kind of magic?" Donald asked, now intrigued.

"At least the magic of our world," Trianna said. She wasn't happy to find out that there were different kinds of magic, besides the ones of her world. It meant that she wasn't the expert that she thought herself was.

"We'll find out soon enough," Sora said, careful not to yawn.

"We better," Riku said, not even hiding his yawn.

"So, how do we get rid of the spells?" Donald asked.

"We take out the magician, or magicians, in charge of protecting the Heartless," Trianna said, a smug smile on her face. She did know more about sorcery and this world's magic than the newcomers.

"If we can still hurt the Heartless using our magic, why waste the time?" Riku asked.

"What if our magic can't?" Donald asked, being logical.

"Then we take out the magician in charge," Riku said, imitating Trianna's voice, however badly.

"Riku, don't be so rude!" Sora hissed in Riku's ear. Riku didn't respond.

Riku's imitation of Trianna did not go unnoticed by the target. Trianna huffed. She looked about to say something, but then, in the end, thought better of it. Sora breathed an inaudible sigh of relief.

"We need to find the last egg's Rider, so it can hatch. It would help if we had time for the search and the training now," Eragon said. "But, we don't. I don't think I'll have time to continue my training until all this is settled."

"You're right. We can't let the Heartless turn on Galbatorix, nor can we let him succeed," Sora said.

And, after a few more minutes of debate on where to station the newcomers, the meeting drew to a close. King Mickey handed the egg to Eragon. Eragon caressed it, remembering the time he had Saphira's egg. He knew that inside, the male dragon would be the one to mate Saphira. But that was months, if not years ahead.

Everyone except Sora and friends filed out. King Mickey had exited with King Orrin, talking. Nasuada left, followed by the strange, silent, violet-eyed girl named Elva. The generals were going to start preparing the troops. Arya, the elf, who hadn't said a word in the meeting, left and went supposedly to the training grounds. Soon it was only Eragon and the five friends.

"Its so beautiful," Kairi said, looking at the egg.

"It is," Eragon said, half distracted by his own thoughts. "I remember when I found Saphira's egg in the Spine. I'm glad I wasn't able to trade it, and that she hatched for me."

"Wonder who it will hatch for," Sora said.

Eragon snapped out of his reverie. "Who knows? It's the dragonet's choice," Eragon explained.

"Can I hold it?" Kairi asked, intrigued by the egg.

"I don't see why not. Holding the eggs don't hurt them, because they are harder than diamond," Eragon said. He gave Kairi the egg to hold, for a moment.

Kairi felt the egg, so smooth and polished. The green was deep emerald. It was simply one of the most beautiful things Kairi has seen. Then she felt the tapping inside.

"Something's moving inside!" She whispered, too excited and scared to do a thing, let alone speak loudly. She nearly dropped the egg. She carefully put the egg down, on the ground, so everyone in the room could see it rocking.

"It's hatching. But who for?" Sora asked.

"I'm not exactly sure. I'm not exactly sure if the egg actually has to come into contact with the Rider, or if the mere presence is enough. It could be you, Riku, or Kairi," Eragon replied.

"What about us?" Donald asked. He meant Goofy and him.

"You're too old. Children to young adults can become Riders, but for some reason, older minds reject the bond shared," Eragon explained. Donald fumed, and Goofy looked perplexed.

Suddenly, the egg audibly split into two. A green dragonet lay between the two halves, momentarily exhausted. By impulse, Kairi reached a hand down, to touch the precious creature, and as soon as her hand came into contact with warm scale, a surge of energy rushed between them. Kairi yelped as the force of the energy knocked her back.

Sora and Riku rushed to Kairi's side. She assured them that she was quite all right, but then they all caught sight of her hand. The center of her palm turned silvery before their eyes.

Eragon chuckled. "The same thing happened to me, when Saphira hatched. The mark on your hand, Kairi, is called the gedwey ignasia. It is the mark of a Rider."

"I'm a… Rider?" Kairi asked in a whisper.

"Yes. I must tell Arya. The elves must know. If I can train you, and train you quickly, we may have a chance. But unfortunately, I have no idea what would be proper. If we can find a way to get you to the elves for training, and somehow manage to keep the Heartless from taking over everything, we'll definitely have a chance," Eragon said.

"But, Kairi isn't part of this world! How could she be the one for the dragon?" Sora asked. He didn't want to lose Kairi.

"The dragon chose. It would have stayed in the egg forever, if his Rider never came along," Eragon said. "That's just the way it is." He left, to go inform Arya and Nasuada of the news.

Sora and Riku helped Kairi up. Donald and Goofy were stunned into silence. All five of them regarded the little dragon with wonder. It was so small. His scales were deep emerald. He butted his head at Kairi.

"I think he's hungry. It is a he, right?" she asked.

"That's what Eragon said. Should we just stay here and wait?" Sora asked.

"It's not like we know our way around the castle," Riku pointed out. Rudely, of course.

Eragon soon came back, with Nasuada, Elva, and Arya in tow. Kairi was suddenly shy and embarrassed. And she was a Princess of Heart!

"Well, this certainly is unexpected," Arya said, the first words she said all day. "You're right, the elves really must know. I will send a message tonight."

"I think the little dragon is hungry," Kairi said when Arya left.

"Of course it is. I ordered some meat for it. It should be here soon," Eragon said.

"If Kairi must go to the elves, then so must we. We made a promise that where one goes, the other two follow," Sora said.

"But—" Eragon began.

"—No, we can't break our promise. We've been through a lot the last couple of years, including being separated, worlds apart. We don't want that to happen again. That's why we all traveled together," Sora interrupted.

King Mickey walked in then, having heard the news from Arya. He congratulated Kairi, and asked how she felt about it.

"I'm… dazed," she replied, truthfully. She looked at her palm. "A Rider. How?"

"The time has come for the barriers between worlds to lowered. Trade is already being set up between the worlds that we have 'discovered'. Maybe, Alagaesia will profit greatly from you as a Rider," Mickey said. "I think the dragonet instinctively knew this. Maybe that's why it chose you."

"It wouldn't have been much different if it had chosen either one of us," Riku said, a little put out.

"Riku, I just don't see you with the kind of bond that Eragon has with Saphira. I just don't see it," Sora said, keeping a laugh out of his voice. "And really, my friends are good enough for me." He put an arm around Riku's shoulders.

"And Eragon said that we're too old," Goofy said, indicating Donald and himself.

"Eragon, how fast will he grow?" Kairi asked.

"Quickly enough. In about three or four months, he'll be old enough to ride. And he'll be able to mate and breath fire around five or six months," was Eragon's reply.

"Five or six months to reach maturity?" Kairi asked.

"Yes, though the dragon will live quite a long time. A very long time. A few centuries. And you'll live the length of its life." Eragon was very matter-of-fact.

"A few _centuries_!?" Riku and Sora yelled. Kairi was silent.

"If nothing untoward happens, yes," Eragon said, slightly amused. From their responses, their trio was quite close. _They might all live almost their entire lives together yet_, he thought, _if only Saphira and this young one are willing. And if these two are worthy enough for an egg._

_It would help rebuild my race_, Saphira put in. _Besides, I would like to see Sora go through the training you endured. And Riku. That would be hilarious._


	6. Drinking

"Think about it this way, guys: if Saphira and the little one mate, then there would be more dragons. You two just might get picked by a dragon yet," King Mickey said.

"That's IF they mate, and IF we get picked. Otherwise, Kairi's going to lose her two best friends when we die of old age," Riku said, resentment in his voice.

"I can't promise anything except that you guys get a chance to try your luck with an egg. It took a week for Saphira to hatch for me, though. Wonder why this one hatched so quickly?" Eragon said, the last part wondering.

That night, the whole castle celebrated. Kairi retired early though, a little shy of all the celebrants getting drunk in her honor. Sora followed soon after. He caught up to Kairi at the door to the chambers that were assigned to her by King Orrin.

"Kairi, you sure you're all right?" Sora asked, concern in his voice and his blue eyes.

"Of course I'm alright. Just a little shy, I guess," Kairi replied.

"Kairi, I—" Sora started. He wanted to tell her how much he cared for her, but couldn't find the courage for some reason. Little did he know, Kairi was the same way about him.

Riku walked up then, and Sora aborted the whole thing. "I'm happy for you, you know," he said instead.

"Yeah, I guess I am too. I guess I was just jealous, and a little worried, too," Riku said, apologetic about his outburst earlier.

"That's alright. Have either of you been drinking?" Kairi asked, smelling alcohol. 

"Not I!" both Riku and Sora said quickly.

"Then how come I smell it?" Kairi said.

"That's because I have," Eragon said, stepping out of the shadows.

"Eragon!" the three exclaimed together.

"You're not that much older than us, are you?" Riku asked.

"Sometimes it seems you're about our age, sixteen or seventeen, but you act and look much older most of the time," Sora explained.

"Aye, I'm about that age. But I'm a man, now," Eragon said, slightly confused.

"Maturity must come faster on this world. Most of the other worlds, someone doesn't reach adulthood until they're about twenty or twenty-one. Some places eighteen," Sora explained.

"Hmm," was Eragon's reply to that. _No wonder they don't act like adults._

"Are you drunk?" Kairi asked, a little annoyed.

"Not yet. You should see Saphira. She drinks enough to kill a man, in a single gulp," Eragon said.

"That's cause she's a dragon, much larger than any of us," Riku observed.

"You know, you shouldn't talk about drinking like it's the worst thing in the world. If you know when to stop, you get the best of both worlds: getting drunk, and waking up without a hangover!" Eragon said.

"Men! Boys!" Kairi said as she went into her room and shut the door.

"Nice going, Rider," Riku said. "You made her mad."

"To tell the truth, I guess I am a little drunk. Spend a few rounds with me?" Eragon asked.

Sora and Riku looked at each other. Riku didn't much care if he was rude, but he was curious to know what a drink tasted like. Sora didn't want to be rude.

"I guess so," Sora said, at the same time Riku said, "I guess a few rounds won't hurt."

So, the three went back to the party, and the next morning, all three had hangovers. Kairi sighed at the sight of them, hands to their heads and reeling in discomfort. They had slept on the floor of the dining hall.

Eragon was the first to recover, having been drunk before. He excused himself from Kairi's admonishing presence, and went to check on Saphira, who had had her share brought to her in the courtyard. Saphira had a headache.

"I can't believe you two!" Kairi almost yelled as loud as she could. "You had to try out drinking, didn't you?! You couldn't wait until you were old enough!"

"But we are old enough! On this world at least," Riku said.

"Sorry, but I didn't want to be rude when Eragon asked us to join him for a few rounds," Sora said.

Kairi softened. "Well, was it fun?" she asked.

"Yes and no. If you drink too much, you get miserable. But if you drink just enough, you get the feeling you can take on anything," Riku said.

"I don't remember much," Sora admitted. "Except on minute I was feeling good, the next I was puking my guts out."

"Boys," Kairi said, exasperated. _Trust a guy to drink to excess on his first try drinking._

"How's your dragon?" Sora asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, he's sleeping. Fed him early this morning, and then he decided to take a nap. I was going to ask Eragon how I should take care of him. He can teach me that at the least," Kairi said.

Just then, the mysterious dark-haired elf walked up. "Where's Eragon? I need to speak to him," Arya said.

Kairi pointed towards the courtyard saying, "He left on pretense of taking care of Saphira, though I suspect he didn't want to witness me tongue lashing these two stooges."

Arya nodded, though she didn't know what Kairi had meant by "stooges". She left the three just as suddenly as she came. Kairi watched her go. Then she turned back to Riku and Sora.

"If your mothers ever found out…" Kairi said, a threat lingering in her voice as she turned back to the original subject.

Sora blushed, and Riku glared at her. What did he care if his mom found out? After everything he's been through, his mother was the least of his problems.

"Fine, I won't drink without your consent," Sora promised, apologetic.

"Drinking's the least of our problems. We have Heartless and the Empire to beat. Can't we have a little fun, along the way?" Riku wasn't the least bit apologetic.

Kairi sighed. She couldn't control these two, so why bother? As long as they didn't get into too much trouble.

Eragon and Arya walked in then. Eragon inquired about the dragonet. Arya stood there, studying Kairi. Kairi told Eragon that the little dragon was sleeping at the moment.

"Just make sure he has plenty of food. I'll teach you the basics of taking care of him. We'll be traveling soon, because we need to give you proper training," Eragon said. "And to do that, we need to go to the elves."

Donald and Goofy walked in then. Donald started going into a tirade over Sora's and Riku's behaviors last night, and Goofy was trying vainly to calm him down.

"The Keyblade masters should not be getting drunk!" Donald was yelling.

"Donald, Kairi's done all the yelling needed at us," Sora said, putting a hand to his head as Donald's quacking voice gave him a worse headache.

"If my memory serves, the King wasn't very sober last night either," Riku said.

"Which one?" Goofy asked, mindful that there were two Kings in the castle at the present.

"Both!" was Riku's reply.

"Oh, and now I regret drinking that much," King Mickey said as he entered the room.

"I think someone put something in the juice as well," Sora said, trying to think about the previous night. He kept drawing blanks.

"Well, I hope all of you have learned your lessons!" Kairi said.

"Just do me a favor, will ya? Don't tell Minnie?" Mickey asked.

"Besides, you'll want to try it sooner or later," Riku said.

"Yeah right," Kairi's tone was sarcastic.

"When will you leave?" King Mickey asked Eragon, changing the subject.

"Tomorrow or the day after," Eragon said.


	7. Road Trip

It was all too soon when they hit the road again. They went east, towards the Beors. They would travel in the dwarven tunnels, through the Beors. Then, they would take much the same route that Eragon had taken during his first trip to Du Waldenvarden. They did not want to risk being seen by the Empire.

The journey was almost uneventful. Eragon showed Kairi how to clean the dragon's scales and talons. Kairi took pleasure in taking care of the little dragon. The journey would take a few weeks, and the care of the dragon took some the tedium out of travel.

Sora grew a little jealous. He wanted all the attention she lavished on the dragon to be directed towards him. But, then, Eragon seemed to have much the same bond with Saphira. The two, when not in a tunnel, would fly far and high, only staying in sight out of courtesy and precaution.

Riku and Sora trained with the escort of dwarves. One, Orik, was one of Eragon's best friends. He wielded an axe, and had taken an interest in Sora and his friends. Eragon had told of how he became a member of the Durgrimst Ingeitum, Orik's clan. Sora was amazed that he and Saphira had set so many precedents with the dwarves.

"He's almost as easy to get along with as you, Sora," Riku remarked one night, talking about Eragon. "Though, you really can't say the same for Saphira."

Sora wondered how the dragon would affect their relationship. He wanted to take his friendship with Kairi one step further, but, unfortunately, didn't know how. He would have to ask someone, but who? Certainly not Riku. Riku wasn't the type to know much about love, was he?

They had been traveling for two weeks, and Kairi's understanding of the dragon grew. Eragon complimented on the dragon's splendid growth. It was as high as his knee, now. Eragon instructed Kairi on the mental communication required to keep the little dragon out of the food. It learned how to hunt quickly.

They had reach Du Waldenvarden when the dragon was about a month old. Its shoulder was on a level with Eragon's elbow. The squealings and the hummings had become roars and rumbles. In another month or two, it would be old enough to ride.

It was then that the dragon started to learn how to speak. Kairi was delighted, and when asked if she had come up with a name for the dragon, she said, no, she hadn't. Nothing seemed good enough for the emerald dragon. They had only just reached the edge of the ancient forest.

"Well, you do need a name for him. It's become quite bothersome to refer to him as 'your dragon' or 'Kairi's dragon' or even 'the green dragon'. No, it's not your fault. My bond with Saphira is that much closer because she had a say in what she was to be named," Eragon said, as they were camped on the forest edge. They had already met the elves of the outpost called Ceris.

The elves were quite surprised that the egg had hatched for a girl. But they were pleased that it had hatched for one who wasn't going to be swayed into Galbatorix's control. After hearing Eragon tell Kairi that she needed to name her dragon, they immediately tried to provide suitable names.

Kairi, considered each one carefully, but none she found appealing. She looked at Sora and Riku, to see if they have any ideas.

"I'm not good at this kinda thing, Kairi. I'm much better at fighting than coming up with names," Riku said.

"I'm sorry, but I'm as lost as you are in this," Sora said.

"Well, you two are no help," Kairi said. "I was hoping that I'd have more time." Kairi's thought hard, and the look of concentration crossed her face. "How about Tallonthar? Is that name good enough?"

_Yes,_ the green dragon said. Kairi smiled. She just put some syllables together.

"Hmm. Interesting," Eragon said.

"I just put together random syllables. That combination sounded the best," Kairi said, a little defensive.

"Well, the name is interesting," Eragon said. Then, he launched into conversation in the Ancient Language with the elves.

"What do you suppose they're talking about?" Sora asked Riku in a whisper.

"How should I know? I don't speak that language," Riku replied.

"Kairi, quite a bit of your training will be secrets that not even Sora and Riku must know. I just thought I'd forewarn you. You must be prepared for almost anything in these woods, and don't stray too far from me, any of you. Got it?" Eragon asked.

"Got it!" Kairi said.

"To those who aren't elves, or aren't friends of the elves, this forest can be unforgiving. Fay magic lingers here, as well. Luckily, we've timed it just right, and there are no celebrations at the moment," Eragon said. "You'll learn quickly enough."

Then, still taking the route Eragon had taken on his first trip, they traveled the lake, and then through the forest. Eragon had given Kairi preliminary lessons of elven courtesy. She did not want to offend anyone, though Eragon told her that it was inevitable, with her being the only female Rider ever known.

Eragon was right, for Kairi caught some unguarded expressions as they passed through the first city. Since it wasn't absolutely necessary that Tallonthar be kept hidden until they reached Elesmera, they didn't bother. Sora and Riku kept lookout for Heartless. What was weird, was that there were no Heartless on the journey. Did they only appear in the Empire?

Once they reached Elesmera, they were escorted straight to the palace. Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy and Kairi looked around in wonder at the palace, for it was part of the living forest. They entered a great hall, and on either side were elven nobles. At the end of the hall was Queen Islanzadi. When the procession reached her, Sora bowed, showing respect. Riku only bowed after Sora elbowed him three times. Donald and Goofy bowed, and King Mickey, who had accompanied them, remained standing, in doing so stating that he was an equal. Kairi remained standing, aware that Riders ranked even the queen of the elves, as Eragon had told her.

"So. A girl is a Rider." These were statements. Kairi, nervous, nodded, not daring to speak. "Never heard of before. You must explain how you came to be a Rider," Islanzadi said.

"That story begins a long time before we even thought of coming to this world," Kairi said. "I'm a Princess of Heart, Rider of Tallonthar, and a wielder of a Keyblade. This story is not merely my own, for my friends have seen more than me." And so, the tale was told. Even King Mickey added some in.

"So these Heartless are in Alagaesia?" Islanzadi asked.

"Apparently, Galbatorix is gathering them up so he can make an assault on Surda. We didn't run into any on our way here, but that could have been a fluke," King Mickey said.

"And sometimes weapons don't work against them?" another question, already answered in the story.

"Yes. The Keyblades are preferred weapons to use, but as there are few of those, and only the chosen can wield them, we think a weapon with a close relationship with the wielder would work," Sora answered.

"So you four are chosen by the Keyblades? Interesting. Well, then, since you already have a blade, you can be instructed to use it in battle. No, I'm not talking about the skirmishes you've already had with the Heartless, Kairi, but in a full-scale battle, against men. From what I've heard, the men in Galbatorix's army will be tougher than the Heartless, for they are more intelligent," Islanzadi said. "You will also be instructed in the use of a bow. Everything else you must learn, you will learn from your teacher."

Islanzadi then lead them to a clearing in the forest, atop a small hill, and turned around. "You must swear, in the Ancient Language, not to mention to anyone who is not an elf or doesn't already know what you will see. All of you," Islanadi said.

"Why? And why in this Ancient Language?" Riku asked.

"The answer to your first question will be given soon enough. To swear in the Ancient Language means you can't break the oath even if you tried. You cannot lie in the Ancient Language, and therefore its oaths are binding," Islanzadi said.

"Tell us what to say," King Mickey said. He was very curious to see what the elves wanted to keep hidden.

"We'll swear, just tell us what to say," Sora said, with a significant glare in Riku's direction.

"Fine," Riku said.

"Good," and Islanzadi told them the sentence they were to repeat.

Then, a _thump_ was heard. Then another. Looking up, they saw a golden dragon, scales glittering in the sunlight. _Thump_ as it beat its wings. As it came in for a landing, everyone noted that it was crippled, a foreleg ending in a white stub.

"Osthato Chetowa. Togira Ikonoka," Eragon said. "The dragon's Rider is called by these titles. The Mourning Sage, and The Cripple Who Is Whole."

Riku, about to ask, "How can a cripple be whole?" was elbowed sharply by Sora. He glared, but at Sora's look, said nothing.

The dragon had landed, and was inspecting them all with golden eyes. Riku stiffened under such scrutiny. While the dragon was inspecting them, the Rider had slid down the enormous dragon's shoulder.

"Master Oromis," Eragon said, formally. "Saphira and I have returned, and with new pupils for you."

"So I see," the Rider, Oromis, said. He looked at Kairi, his expression unreadable. Sora felt the desire to come to Kairi's rescue, but didn't dare to even say anything. He had overheard some of Kairi's lessons in elven courtesy, and knew that a false move could put these two against each other.

He engaged Eragon in a conversation in the Ancient Language. They seemed to be talking about Kairi, for her name was mentioned several times. But what exactly they were saying was beyond all of them. When they stopped, Oromis turned back to Kairi.

"Eragon tells me that you know little of our world. You must work harder than even Eragon did to understand it," Oromis said. "Your friends cannot attend all of the lessons, for there will be secrets taught only to Riders."

Kairi nodded. "I understand."

Sora gave an inaudible sigh. Less time he'd have to spend with Kairi. And so, Kairi's training was to begin.


	8. Training and the Kiss

It seemed that the Heartless, those that weren't under Galbatorix's control, were attracted to the strong hearts of the group of friends. It was three months later, and Tallonthar was growing splendidly. It was about the third attack on Kairi while she was meditating. Her quick wits and the fact that she could summon her own Keyblade kept her from getting hurt. She was getting tired of the interruptions.

Sora and Riku prowled Elesmera, defeating any Heartless that they found. They too learned about Alagaesia. Donald and Goofy were somewhat torn between being with their friends, and staying by King Mickey. But, as it was obvious that the King could take care of himself, they spent more time with Sora and Riku.

Eragon continued his own training, and even helped Oromis teach Kairi. Saphira and Glaedr would take Tallonthar out to learn dragons' history. The dragons had a few secrets, as well. Kairi felt she would burst if she had to learn many more secrets. It just wasn't her to keep secrets from Sora and Riku.

When Tallonthar learned how to breath fire, everyone was delighted. It meant that they were that much closer to the point where they could defeat Galbatorix. Kairi, in the evenings when she had free time, would often fly Tallonthar, enjoying the wind's caress. If Tallonthar was strong enough, she would have taken Sora and Riku up, too.

Time flew for Kairi, though it seemed to crawl for the others. Kairi never became quite as skilled as Sora or even Riku with the Keyblade, but she did improve greatly. She became an excellent shot with the bow, though she felt a little embarrassed that she couldn't use an elven bow or shoot from as far away as an elf. And, she learned how to use magic. Not the simpler magic that Sora used, but the complex manipulation of energy that the inhabitants of Alagaesia used.

Kairi continued to learn at a very brisk pace. She learned Alagaesian history, from the viewpoint of the elves, learned the geography of the world, and became quite adept at magic. Though she wasn't as good as Eragon, in anything, she did prove to be much stronger of will than the average human girl. In fact, there practically was no comparison, between Kairi and the average human girl, especially of this world.

It was by unspoken consent that no one mentioned what would happen to Kairi and Tallonthar if/when the Empire was toppled. No one knew, and no one wanted to think about it, yet. Though it seemed that Kairi would be welcomed to stay in Alagaesia, she seemed to wish that she could visit other places, still. But currently, there were no gummie ships big enough for a full-grown dragon.

One night, Kairi and Sora were watching the stars, trying to figure out which one was which world. They reassured each other that their friends on the other worlds were doing fine. Then, by sudden impulse, Sora kissed Kairi.

At first, Kairi was surprised. But she gave in to the kiss, and was a little disappointed when Sora broke it off.

"Sorry—" he began, wishing he hadn't made so bold a move.

"For what, Sora? Do you know how many nights I spent wishing I was with you, or that you'd have the nerve to kiss me?" Kairi asked.

"But—" Sora said, then stopped silent. He didn't know what to say. Kairi _wanted_ him. "No, I don't know."

Kairi smiled, saying, "It's been many a night."

Sora smiled back. Then, he grew serious, asking "What of Tallonthar? We certainly cannot take him back to Destiny Islands, the gummie ship's too small."

"We could move here," Kairi said. "It's a beautiful enough world, though without any of the modern conveniences."

"I don't know. I don't want to leave you ever, but I don't think I want to stay in one place. Not with all the traveling I've done in the last couple of years," Sora said. He had broached a subject that had no answer yet. "And Tallonthar will just keep growing. Sooner or later, he'll outgrow any gummie ship that we can build."

"But, that may be centuries off. True, dragons keep growing, but the rate of growth declines after they've matured enough to breath fire. They'll put on a few growth spurts, but after they breath fire, it's a slow steady rate growth," Kairi said.

"And that's another thing. You'll live long past any of us," Sora said.

"Don't you have any faith? Eragon said, I know it was months ago, so you may have forgotten, that you and Riku can have a chance at a dragon egg," Kairi said.

"I remember, but what if the egg doesn't hatch for me? I would die of old age, and you'd still be beautiful," Sora said, a little resentment in his voice.

"Sora, this isn't like you. I did not fall in love with someone who cannot believe that he can have the girl he wants. I fell in love with the easy-going, happy-go-lucky, optimistic boy. When and why did you become so serious and pessimistic?" Kairi asked.

"I became serious when we came here, and pessimistic when King Mickey had given the news about the Heartless serving Galbatorix," Sora replied, sourly.

"Well, with your attitude right now, there is no hope of us winning. But we have something that Galbatorix doesn't have," Kairi said.

"What's that?" Sora asked, still in a sour mood.

"The Keyblades!" Kairi said. "And we also have friendship, something Galbatorix could never have."

"But he has thousands of soldiers conscripted plus who knows how many Heartless? And every moment we waste, he gets stronger, and the more likely that he'll become a Heartless," Sora wasn't going to be shaken out of his mood easily.

"Sora, there was a time that no one could defeat you. Are you going to let a madman do it, when so many others, even a _god_, failed?" Kairi asked.

"Well," Sora began.

"Think about it, Sora. If we're going to succeed, we need _everyone_ to help, including you! If/when Saphira and Tallonthar mate, I'm sure an egg will hatch for you. But first we must take care of Galbatorix. Now, that star just below the moon, do you think that's Destiny Islands? Or Twilight Town?" Kairi changed the subject.

Kairi still continued her lessons, learning everything she can. She became very fluent in the Ancient Language. The few Heartless that had invaded the forest were making nuisances of themselves, and Sora and the others took care of them. Kairi focused on her lessons.

Then Arya's urgent message reached the elves. Kairi was in a lesson, Sora and Riku boredly watching, for Kairi had shown an interest in making a fairth. She said that fairths looked almost like pictures. Right after Kairi had made the fairth, of Sora and Riku in front of a tree, an elf came and began talking to Oromis in hushed tones. Kairi caught enough to know that trouble was afoot.

"What's wrong, Master Oromis?" Kairi asked.

"Galbatorix has started his march south. Since there are lots of soldiers and Heartless, it will take time to move them all," Oromis said. "Many will be on foot, and most are not that fast afoot. I have been teaching you on a very rigorous course, because I knew we did not have that much time. We actually had more time than I thought we would."

Eragon sauntered up then. He had "had the day off", but Kairi knew he was studying old battles. There was a fierce look, a grim determination to win this war. "We've had much more time than we could hope for, Master, and I thinks it's time for all who will fight to start preparing to leave," he said as he bowed respectfully to the old Rider.

"Kairi, Eragon, you guys focus mostly on Galbatorix's men, his Rider, and himself. Riku, King Mickey, Donald, Goofy and I will take care of the Heartless," Sora said. He summoned his Keyblade. "We may need a little help, but I've learned how to use my enemies' strengths against them. That's how I defeated a thousand Heartless by myself."

Kairi nodded. She would much rather just go after the Heartless, but that was impractical. She'll be needed against other foes.

"So, when do we leave?" Sora asked. "A-S-A-P?"

"The spellweavers and fighters among us will be ready in a few days," Oromis said. In the Ancient Language, he added, "I will be waiting for your return, if you should win. You will come back, once this battle is over?"

Eragon, unhesitantly, replied, in the same language, "Yes, I will return."

Kairi hesitated, then nodded, saying, "I will come back too."


	9. Against all Odds

When it was time to leave, everyone was prepared. Sora carried quite a few potions and ethers, to keep up his energy during battle. Since he could use a cure spell, he had more ethers than potions. All these items were, of course, leftover from his battle against Organization XIII.

Kairi had taken a few items at Sora's insistence, but she did not think she would use them as heavily as Sora. For one thing, ethers only worked for the hidden reserve for the kind of magic that Sora and Donald used. Even some techniques used this hidden reserve. But the elven magic comes from any source of energy, so long as one can tap it. So, she didn't bother take any ethers. But a few potions wouldn't hurt.

Sora, Riku, Donald and Goofy made a small group, being unable to follow the native tongue of the elves. King Mickey had learned the language, and quite well, so he mingled in and out of the elves. Though Sora had tried to learn the language, he saw no real benefit. He knew that in order to work this world's magic one had to learn that language, but he also knew he did not have the spark. He also had figured out that the dragon had given Kairi the ability to use this world's magic. He was enjoined to keep that little fact a secret too.

So, the elven army, consisting of, Sora was surprised to see, both elf men and women. In such a parochial world, the elves seemed to be at the forefront of development. Their magic wasn't entirely to credit, either. Elves were brilliant, fast, and in essence, far superior to humans. The only thing humans could do better was breed.

Eragon had gone at all possible speed to Surda, to assist where he could. Kairi was to stay with the elves, and that force would attack Galbatorix's army from behind. If Galbatorix thought his enemies were only to the south, then he was in for a nasty surprise. If not, his forces would still be between two strong forces.

When the enemy army camp was in sight to Tallonthar's far seeing eyes, they set up war camp. The elves had provided Tallonthar with dragon armor. Sora only wore the armor he was given because he didn't want to be rude. Riku chose not to wear armor. There wasn't any armor for Donald, for there wasn't time for the armor smith to forge him a set, and Goofy opted to wear the official suit that he wore at Castle Disney. King Mickey was also in "plain" clothes. Kairi also wore armor.

"This armor is hot, and it slows my movements," Sora complained to Kairi when they were alone. "It's heavy too. How am I to fight in this?"

"You'll get used to it," Kairi said with a smile. She had much the same problems of her own.

"I'll be fighting Heartless, not soldiers…" Sora continued.

"At least you'll be that much more protected," Kairi responded.

"I don't envy Eragon one bit right now. How are we to know that the battle's started, anyway?" Sora asked.

"Tallonthar will tell us, if Arya cannot get a message to one of the elves here," was Kairi's response.

Then the waiting began. It seemed like forever, to Sora. In reality, it only a few hours before the signal to enter the battle had been given. Sora rushed with everyone else. He was eager to get the battle over with.

Kairi flew Tallonthar only slightly ahead of the army of elves. The elven spellcasters were ruthlessly attacking the weaker magicians of Galbatorix's army. The Heartless had been put somewhat in the rear, in the perspective of the Varden, and Sora ran straight towards them. Riku, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey followed closely.

There were aerial Heartless as well. Sora, at the last moment, summoned his Keyblade, as did Riku and King Mickey. Donald had his staff out and was casting magic, and Goofy was plowing through with his shield.

Sora concentrated hard on the battle. Nothing else mattered. He heard the scream of men, and worse, the scream of horses. There were four big Heartless, and lots of little ones. He went in close to one of the big ones, and tripped it. It fell over, squashing about ten of the smaller variety. While it was still down, he attacked it with his Keyblade. Around him, Heartless were spontaneously combusting, and he looked over at the elves. The spellweavers were hard at work, on both the human army in front of them, and the Heartless one. Sora, having a moment's reprieve, looked up, and saw a red dragon almost a large as Saphira. Saphira was combating it. Tallonthar was nowhere to be seen.

Sora did not have time to worry, for more Heartless were headed towards him. He grit his teeth, and got ready for the fight. There were literally hundreds of Heartless, if not thousands. All too soon Sora had to use an ether. Then, he had to use a potion, too. He hoped that the onslaught of Heartless would end soon. It wasn't like the ravine at Radiant Garden. Those Heartless had been weak. These were moderately strong.

Everyone, including King Mickey, was starting to slow down. And there still was no sign of Kairi and Tallonthar. Sora began to worry, a little. Where were they? He hoped that they wouldn't try to be too brave. Shadows passed overhead, and Sora saw the red and blue streak that were the two dragons plummeting together. Both disentangled and pulled out of the dangerous dive at the very last second. Then, a green streak headed towards the red dragon. Tallonthar! The green dragon, smaller than the red, attacked from above. Saphira let out a jet of flame at the red dragon's right. It screamed in agony.

Sora was fighting by instinct, now. He couldn't think, and every chance he could, he looked at the battle above. The next lull, he looked about the battlefield. The grass, originally brown-green from the local draught, was soaked red. Horses, men, a few elves, lie screaming in pain, while men and elves battled each other. The sound horrified Sora. And then, before his eyes, some of the wounded, who despaired the most, became Heartless. Thankfully, no Nobodies were formed, yet.

The sun was blotted, and at first Sora thought it was just the three dragons fighting. But the next time he stole a glance up, his heart sank. There, hovering in front of the sun, was a black dragon, smaller than Glaedr, but larger than any of the three that were fighting. That dragon could only mean one thing; Galbatorix had come out.

"We gotta help Kairi!" Sora yelled, quickly adding, "And Eragon!"

"We can't just leave the Heartless," Mickey said, "but we can't leave Kairi up there for too long either. We'll need reinforcements against the Heartless soon if this keeps up."

"The Empire's forces have dwindled. Some have defected early on. They have no heart for battle," Arya said as she came near. The elf was covered in sweat and flecks of blood. Oddly, she had no cuts on herself. Sora could guess why. She had healed herself recently. "But some, seeing Galbatorix in this battle, stand stronger."

"Kairi and Eragon are going to be in trouble," Sora said, as he slashed his Keyblade, knocking three Heartless back. The human and Heartless forces of the Empire had merged now, and the battle was utter chaos. Only the fact that there were colors marking who each warrior was for kept some sort of order.

"More Heartless are forming!" Goofy said as he charged by, knocking about ten with his shield.

"FIRE!" Sora yelled, and a ring of fire surrounded him for three seconds. The Heartless around him disappeared.

"Too many are in a state of despair!" King Mickey yelled. "Arya, will you reassure those on our side? It would not do for them to become Heartless, not now. We can still win this, despite the odds! If only those on our side have faith and don't succumb to the Darkness!"

"Of course," the raven-haired elf said, and then bounded away, on light feet.

A roar filled the air. Every human, dwarf and elf looked up, to see a green and black blur plummeting towards the ground. A few yards away, a red and blue blur plummeted towards the ground. A few hundred feet above ground, the dragons braked their drop, and began to climb again. The black dragon, Shruikan, breathed fire at Tallonthar. Tallonthar dove to escape the fire, but Shruikan then attacked from above, slashing at his back. Saphira broke away from the combat she was in with the red dragon, and flamed the bigger dragon. Shruikan roared in pain.

That was when the strangest thing happened. All of the aerial Heartless, those that were left anyway, rose from attacking the grounded humans, dwarves, and elves. They rose, straight for Shruikan and Galbatorix. Tallonthar dove, to rise up beside the red dragon. The Heartless ignored him and Kairi for the moment. It seemed that whatever means Galbatorix was using to control the Heartless wasn't working. The other Heartless, who had fought with the Empire soldiers, started to attack anyone. The elves, Sora, Mickey, Riku, Donald and Goofy were somewhat ready for this. They had discussed the possibility. They all grit their teeth and attacked the attacking Heartless. The elves cast spells to freeze or to burn them, while Sora, Riku, King Mickey, and Goofy relied on their strength. Another large Heartless fell, burning in blue, green, and purple fires. The battle below turned, and the Varden, elves, dwarves, and Surda were winning. Hope filled every heart on the allied side. More men in Galbatorix's army surrendered, or outright defected, killing other Empire soldiers. 

Above, three of the four dragons and their Riders watched the hideous and apparently painful transformation of Galbatorix. Shruikan screamed in his Rider's pain, and his own. They were all finding out the hard way what happens when both Rider and dragon become Heartless.

Bellow, the battlers stopped, awestruck by the site. Sora had seen men become Heartless, but no one living had actually witnessed the birth of a Nobody, as well. And this is precisely what was happening. For though the King of the Empire was mad, his heart, though twisted, was still strong. It had to be, to live with unending pain and grief that losing one's dragon caused. Even though he had his stolen dragon, the bond was forced, and not quite sincere. It was a poor substitute for his original dragon's bond. And nothing would give back the part of him that was lost forever.

Galbatorix seemed to split. His heart became a Heartless, an ugly, black and purple, four legged, winged one, looking not too unlike a Lethrblaka, except feathered. Shruikan's Heartless was bigger, and was indescribably horrible. The bodies and souls left behind, however, kept their original shape. Sora wished desperately that he could fly, to take out the Nobodies and Heartless in the sky before they could get their bearings.

Sora's heart sank. It was going to be difficult to defeat both the Heartless and the Nobodies that were hovering in the sky.


	10. In the End

The red dragon blasted fire. But not at Saphira, or Tallonthar. No, it flamed the Heartless that was formerly Galbatorix. Tallonthar was the next to move. Tallonthar concentrated on the Nobodies. Saphira, the last to shake off shock, attacked the Heartless that was formerly Shruikan. Then the real aerial battle began.

"Wait, isn't the Rider of the red dragon a servant of Galbatorix?" Goofy asked, confused.

Arya laughed, a hollow laugh, with very little humor in it. It creeped Sora out. "Since Galbatorix isn't technically in existence anymore, the oaths that bound the Rider to him must be null now. Apparently, Galbatorix was so confident in winning, and living, that he hadn't bothered to make the oath binding after his existence is extinguished. Therefore, the Rider has the liberty to attack his former master," Arya mused aloud, for the benefit of everyone within hearing distance.

"Nobodies can remember from before they were Nobodies. Galbatorix's Nobody will be very angry, now that the Rider isn't attacking Saphira or Tallonthar," Sora said logically.

"You know, if we had something, just something, that could take us to that fight, there'd be a much better chance of our side winning," Riku said.

Sora watched, not wanting to look away, but afraid of what he might see. He and the others watched, now that the Heartless on the ground had been defeated. The elven spellweavers were muttering spells still, though the distance to the aerial opponents lessened the effects of the spells. The Nobodies screamed in pain, as multicolored fire consumed them, only to be extinguished moments later. The spellcasters could not keep the spell going.

"Use the Nobodies' energy!" Came a cry from above. Tallonthar was circling the Nobodies, and Kairi's voice was amplified by magic. "Their mental defenses are gone! Being Nobodies, they can't use Alagaesian magic! And they're not like Heartless, who cannot be drained of energy!"

Arya grinned, a smile of pure malice. Sora shuddered. He never wanted to be on an elf's bad side. Riku looked up, watching the fight. The Heartless seemed to be evenly matched each by a dragon and Rider. The Nobodies were getting over their shock at not being able to use magic.

The elves, draining energy from the Nobodies, directed their attacks to the two Heartless. When the Heartless finally disappeared, and leaving the somewhat stronger Nobodies left, Kairi, mounted on Tallonthar, struck with her Keyblade. Tallonthar attacked with talon and fang. The Nobodies retaliated. A blast of fire from the dragon Nobody, and a strike with a sword from the former Galbatorix. The red dragon flamed at the Nobodies, and Saphira did the same. The Nobodies were terribly outnumbered. In about five minutes, they too disappeared, for good.

Cheering broke out among the allied forces. Sora, ecstatic with relief and joy, hugged an astonished Arya, King Mickey, Donald and Goofy. Riku smiled, and yelled for joy. The three dragons landed, and their Riders headed towards the leaders of the allies. Arya grew serious, and Sora and Riku sobered. There was much work to be done, if Alagaesia was to thrive. King Mickey was already headed towards the leaders. Sora and Riku followed, followed themselves by Donald, Goofy, and Arya.

"Welp, we all did it. And against the odds, too," King Mickey was saying when Sora reached the group. "Well done, Sora, Kairi, Riku. Donald, Goofy, you did great. And thanks to everyone who helped defeat the Heartless."

Kairi was bone tired. She looked at Sora, who looked the worse for wear. Riku didn't look much better. She had consumed a lot of energy, just protecting herself from the other Rider's magical attacks. She glanced a little apprehensively at the Rider.

Eragon cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him, and he waved the Rider forward. "Murtagh has some words to say. In the Ancient Language," he said pointedly. "Then for the benefit of those who don't know the language, he'll translate."

The Rider glared at Eragon for a moment, then, in the Ancient Language, said, "I'm sorry for the betrayal, and sorry that I caused so much grief. I was selfish when I chose to live."

"I don't believe him…" Riku said.

"Riku, he couldn't be lying. He must truly be sorry, if he could say it in the Ancient Language," Kairi said.

"He didn't state _how_ sorry he was. He just said he was sorry," Riku pointed out. "For all we know, he could be just sorry enough for it to be true."

"You know, Riku does have a very good point, Kairi," Sora said. He turned to Eragon. "What gets me, though, is how do you know him?"

Eragon stammered, looking around. Riku was just as curious as Sora, and Kairi knew already. She had to, for it had been on his mind since after Murtagh had defected. She nodded encouragement, and he looked at Nasuada. The dark-skinned leader of the Varden did not give him any sign of what he should do. Arya would be no help either, even if she was present. Looking out at the men who had gathered, he shook his head. To deny the truth, especially now, would be folly. To hide it would be almost as bad. Especially when he was pushed. Some of the men already knew Murtagh as his friend, and were quite astonished that he had been the red dragon's Rider.

"Murtagh and I met when Brom, Saphira and I were ambushed by the Ra'zac. He drove the Ra'zac off, but in the brief scuffle, Brom had been mortally wounded. I did my best, but knew nothing about healing magic except how to treat surface wounds. After Brom died, we traveled together, first to Gil'ead, where he saved my life yet again, and then to the Varden, in Farthen Dur. After the battle there, some Urgals, presumably now under the control of the traitorous Twins, ambushed the then leader of the Varden, Ajihad, and took Murtagh. We all thought he was dead. He was forced to swear, in the Ancient Language, to serve Galbatorix, and to be loyal. We had fought during the Battle of the Burning Plains, and that was when the real truth was revealed. Murtagh and I are brothers." There, he said it.

Shock rippled through the contingent. Some men backed away in fear. Sora was a little confused. Kairi whispered in his ear why the men were backing away: Morzan, the most hated and feared of the Forsworn, was Murtagh's father, and if Murtagh was Eragon's true brother, then that meant that Morzan was Eragon's father.

Eragon swore, mostly under his breath. He cursed his father, and he cursed circumstances. He walked away, mounted Saphira, and they both flew off.

"Oh, no, he is not going to run away. Not when the dragons' race needs to be rebuilt. This world depends on it," Kairi said, as she mounted Tallonthar and followed.

"You know, blood doesn't really tell. I mean, some things are passed down, but not personality… I have a friend who's uncle, his father's brother, was evil…" Sora said. It didn't help much. People, so set in their ways here, were going to be afraid of Morzan's youngest son, let alone the oldest.

"It's not like Eragon could have chosen his relations," Riku muttered. He had grown to like Eragon.

After Kairi had left to chase after Eragon, some panicked out right that no Riders were there to keep Murtagh from hurting anyone. Little did they know that he had sworn in the Ancient Language that he wouldn't hurt anyone that day.

"I couldn't have chosen, either," Murtagh said, acid in his voice.

There was a very awkward and uncomfortable silence as they all waited for Kairi to turn Eragon around. King Orrin eyed Murtagh and Thorn warily, Nasuada seemed indifferent, Sora and Riku paced, Donald was muttering to himself so quickly that it was all garbled quacking to everyone else, King Mickey had taken to whistling a steamboat tune, and Goofy was looking from one person to the next. Finally, on the horizon, the blue and green dragons could be seen. King Mickey was the first to spot them.

As soon as Saphira and Tallonthar had landed, their Riders dismounted. Eragon did not look at all happy.

"You don't have to stay on this world, Eragon, but you have a duty to the dragons first," Kairi was saying.

Eragon knew then that that was what he was going to do, once Saphira had mated, and their duty was finished. After he had seen Oromis for one last time, he amended. He already knew which dragon she would mate. There was no question about it, really. The two had grown fond of each other during training, and Tallonthar was certainly old enough now. But they had to go at their own pace. 

"Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and especially you, Kairi, thank you for coming to this world's rescue," Eragon said, to break the silence that followed Kairi's remark. He laughed, with no humor in it at all. Sora shuddered. Why the humorless laughs all of a sudden? "The son of one who helped bring dragonkind to the brink of extinction will help bring them back. There's a bit of irony in it."

"That whole situation is ironic," Riku said.

"Lady Nasuada, Kairi and I promised that we'd go back to Elesmera. By your leave, I also wish to leave this world, once the dragons' future is secure. I don't think I'll be welcomed on this world much longer," Eragon said, a trace of bitterness in his voice.

"I understand. You've served me well," Nasuada said. "We must find a suitable punishment for Murtagh, too. Even though he acted against his will, he still betrayed the Varden, not to mention you, Eragon. His effort in the last battle will not be enough. Most are going to call for his head."

Murtagh blanched a little. But he stayed, and Sora admired him for his courage. To face death, and possibly the death of the one closest to you, took a lot of courage. Thorn growled, though, and Murtagh hushed him.

Kairi shook her head. "I would exile him to a remote world for a period of time, and from Alagaesia permanently. That way, he keeps his life, and there is no way he will bother anyone here with his presence. A few oaths in the Ancient Language, and he can't change his fate."

Nasuada smiled. "That happens to be a very excellent idea, Kairi. Very well. The sentence is effective as soon as you can figure out a way to transport him and his dragon away. Until then, I charge both you and Eragon to keep an eye on him. And Eragon, was it wise to reveal to everyone your, ah, relations?"

"Not wise, but even less wise to lie or keep it hidden. People would resent that I kept the secret for so long. And would resent it even further if I had lied," Eragon said.

"Wise answer, Shadeslayer," Arya said as she walked up.

"So, what happens now?" Riku asked.

"We go back to Elesmera, wait for the dragons' future to be secure, and wait until Chip and Dale send a gummie ship, or preferably a fleet, big enough to accommodate three dragons, the six of us off-worlders, and Eragon and Murtagh. That could take months, at the least," Kairi said.

"Sounds fun," Riku said sarcastically.

Orik came up then. Eragon quietly explained what his plans were to the dwarf. The dwarf seemed sad that his friend found no other way to find peace, but nodded. "The other dwarves will not like the news that Hrothgar had accepted into his clan the son of Morzan. It may all be for the best," was all Orik would say on that count.

The Riders, Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey all left early in the morning, back north to Du Waldenvarden. Arya accompanied them. She would be their guide through the forest's maze.

Once they reached Elesmera, they first reported to Oromis. Oromis merely nodded at the news of Murtagh's sentence. He also seemed pleased that Eragon knew his duty to dragonkind. So, to fill up spare time, Kairi and Eragon learned even more magic from Oromis. Murtagh was excluded from these lessons.

Months passed, during which King Mickey had gone back to Castle Disney with Donald and Goofy to order the making of the new gummie ships. Saphira and Tallonthar, in an incredible display of flight, had mated, and Saphira was now egg-heavy. She was about ready to lay. Sora and Kairi had had a few more kisses, and Riku did not seem jealous. In fact, he knew that the two liked each other that way ever since they were old enough to know what love meant.

Oromis had one last lesson to teach before his two students would leave. That was the spell that kept the dragon egg from hatching until its Rider came along. The spell would be used shortly after Saphira had clutched.

Once Saphira laid her eggs, the spell was cast. The very next week, three eggs had hatched. A white male for Sora, a purple female for Riku, and a brown for an elf child who was lucky. The child would be learning all his lessons from Oromis, while Sora and Riku would start their lessons with the old Rider, and continue under the tutelage of Kairi and Eragon.

Once the gummie ships arrived, Oromis bade them farewell, having extracted a promise from them that they'd come visit. He would be training the elf child to carry on the traditions and duties of the Shur'tugal, the Dragon Riders of Alagaesia.

And so, they dropped Murtagh off on a world that was uninhabited by anyone, but had plenty of food, and all headed towards Destiny Islands. Eragon would be staying there for a while, to help Kairi teach Sora and Riku. Eragon never returned to Alagaesia, and the dragons there did not go extinct.


End file.
